Apparatus for making starch.



No. 725.180. PATBNTED APR. 14, 19073.

Wi H. UHLAND.

APPARATUS POR MAKING vSTARGI-I.

APPLIOATION FILED APB. 2, 1902.

me Noam: Penas ce, Puo'rauwa.. wxsmwcron n UNrrn @trarne 'Farrar i lrrron.'

APPRATUS FORWHAKING'STARCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,180, dated April14, 1903. Application filed April 2, 1902. Serial No. 101,119. (Nomodel.)

T0 all whom, it 'may concern,

Be it known that I, WILHELM HEINRICH UHLAND, a subject of the King ofSaxony, re-

siding at Leipzig-Gohlis, in the Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire, haveinventedanew and useful Apparatus for the Continuous Separation ofStarch, Water, and Resid ual Substances, of which the following is aspecifica-4 ed in the extraction-water are continuously removed at thetop part of the apparatus, then diluted with fresh water, and theseparation is repeated several times until all the starch is extractedfrom the residuum and purified, this method being employed in themanufacture of starch from potatoes, maize, wheat, and similar materialscontaining starch.

Second. From the raw-starch emulsion a pu re-starch emulsion iscontinuously extracted in a thin fluid state at the top part of theapparatus, while the impurities are continuously removed in asemiliuidstate at the bottom part of the apparatus, then diluted withfresh water, and the separation is repeated several times until all thestarch is extracted from the impurities, this method being employed inthe manufacture of starch from rice and similar materials containingstarch.

The apparatus employed in the methods described above is illustrated inFiguresl to 4E. Fig. l shows a square apparatus in a verticallongitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of arectangular apparatus; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig.4 a plan of the same.

The raw-starch emulsion is introduced into the apparatus by means of achannel a, which diverges downward and is formed by the slantingpartition-wall b. In the said channel the emulsion descends whiledecreasing its velocity and is deiected at c to the settling-space cl.As the one channel-wall is .rounded at the bottom, the solution will begradually turned from the vertical to a horizon tal direction, as isindicated by the arrow, so that every shock to the body of the liquidresting in the lower conical part of the apparatus is avoided.

During the slow flow of the liquid stream .above the resting liquid bodythe starch particles will sink down in the lower conical part of theapparatus and gradually thicken the deeper they go downward. Since in anapparatus of square section it is difficult to give the bottomthroughout a uniform inclination, it is best to form the bottom in twoslanting planes inclined to each other in the middle. In the furrow soformed a transporting means-such as, for inst-ance, an endless screwf-is mounted to turn, which during its slow rotation moves theconcentrated starch mass to the outlet g, while preventing it fromsettling without stirring it up. The endless screw may be assisted inits action by placing it at an incline toward the outlet, as is shown inFig. 8. The starch emulsion run off through the adjustable outlet g maybe further treated. If several apparatuses are combined for the purposeof continuously purifying the raw starch, a pump for transferring thestarch from the one to the other apparatus may be omitted and thepressure of the liquid itself may be utilized for performing this duty,in which case the outlet g is closed and the vertical pipe h, providedwith the cock t', is made use of for letting off the starch emulsion. 1

The application of the regulating means t' is important, since aregulation of the concen tration of the starch would not he possible ifthe starch emulsion were left to iiow over freely.

In order to cause the starch particles ascending above the uid stream toagain descend and settle, a convenient number of partition-walls b b2,according to the length of the apparatus, is arranged. Theextractionwater freed of the starch islet off at the overflow e.

In the manufacture of starch from rice the impurities contained in theraw-starch emulsion settle lnuch quicker than the starch itself, whilein the manufacture of starch from potatoes, maize, or wheat the case isthe IOO and the procedure is repeated over several reverse. Thisproperty of the rice-starch is utilized for the separation of the starchfrom the impurities, the starch emulsion being a1- lowed to settle insuitable vessels until the impurities have sunk down and form a distinctsediment, While the starch still remains suspended inthe Water. Thestarch is then drawn o with the water cautiously, leaving the impuritiesbehind. In order to extract the remaining starch from the sediment ofimpurities, the latter are diluted with water times, usually three orfour times. Evidently this process requires vessels capable A of holdingthe entire quantity of diluted starch emulsion, and as the repeatedextraction of starch from the residuum yields a large quantity of verydiluted starch emulsion a very large number of settling-tanks isrequired. In the method of continuously v separating the pure starchfrom the raw i starch emulsion according to this my invention auniformly-concentrated starch emul-1 sion of small quantity is'obtained,which ref qnires less settling-tanks. Moreover, the v continuousseparation requires no big de-i canting vessels, but only small vesselsfor d-iluting the grinding -product coming from the mill and fordiluting the residuum run off; from theapparatus. Accordingto the methodcharacterized in section l the emulsion ofi raw starch is introducedinto the apparatus at a, deected at c, and allowed to iiow oft at e. Asin this case the impurities are heavier than the starch, they willcollect in the boti tom part of the apparatus, while the pure starchemulsion, freed of the impurities and suspended in the water, ows overat the top kof the apparatus. For the extraction of the remaining starchfrom the resiuum run oft at g the latter is diluted and again subjectedto a separation. To reduce the quantity of the starchv emulsion flowingover, the starch emulsion flowing over the second apparatus is employedfor diluting the grinding product of the mill, and the starch emulsionliowing over the third apparatus, which is very much diluted, .isemployed for diluting the residuum run off the first apparatus, Whilethe starch emulsion flowing over the latter is conducted at oncel to thesettling-tanks and always in the same degree of concentration.

Having now described the nature of my said invention, what I desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is In a square andrectangular tank for separating starch, the combination of a lateralentering-channel diverging downward,having a rounded shoulder fordeliecting the starch emulsion to the horizontal direction, withtransporting means on the bottom of the tan k,

ya lower outlet and a vertical pipe with regulating means for letting odthe starch emnl sion.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

WILHELM HEINRICH UHLAND. Witnesses:

RUDOLPH FRIOKE, B. H. WARNER, Jr.

